Nogueira still trucking, has no intention of retiring after UFC 153 win over Herman

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-7-1 MMA, 5-3 UFC) said after UFC 153 that he works with a physical therapist 90 minutes a day to keep himself in fighting shape.

Following a submission win over Dave Herman (21-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) at this past Saturday’s pay-per-view event, the ex-PRIDE heavyweight champion and UFC interim champ said he has no intention of hanging up his gloves, and UFC President Dana White is far from asking him to.

“I want to be back and fighting in Brazil next year, or anywhere [Dana] puts me,” Nogueira told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Nogueira faced jiu-jitsu skeptic Dave Herman in the night’s co-main event, which took place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. After a few hints at a submission, Nogueira focused his efforts late in the second round and forced a tap from Herman via armbar.

“Nogueira blows my mind,” said a gushing White. “He just had these pins put in his arm. Yesterday at the weigh-ins, he comes over to the scale and he’s got to hold on to me to get undressed. And I’m like, ‘Oh, man.’ Dave Herman is a monster. He’s a big, athletic guy, and I thought this was going to be a very rough night for ‘Big Nog.’ He’s a warhorse.

“I told him when he came out tonight, I’m honored to have you fighting here in the UFC. He’s the nicest guy in the world, he’s incredibly successful, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

Nogueira is one of the few stars from the early 2000s that’s still actively competing. When UFC parent Zuffa purchased PRIDE in 2007, the 36-year-old fighter migrated to the octagon and beat Tim Sylvia for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 81 before ceding it in his next fight to Frank Mir. Since then, he’s fought five times, alternating between wins and losses.

Meanwhile, injuries have piled up for the 13-year vet, who’s also served as a benefactor for dozens of up-and-coming fighters in his native Brazil. A recent rematch with Mir saw him leave the cage with a broken arm. Following a loss to Cain Velasquez in February 2010, he was inactive for more than a year while recovering from surgery on his knees and hips.

Such issues have prompted many to ask Nogueira if retirement is around the corner. When asked if he might like to go out on a high note following his win over Herman, he smiled.

“Man, you guys keep saying that, (trying) to retire me,” he said. “But I still can fight. I feel amazing. When I fight over here, I’m still hungry. I still feel like I can fight and throw some good things. I know I got my arm broke. I just have a good physical therapist. I still feel like going and fighting those guys.”

He then looked at White and said: “Any time you want me to fight, man, just put me there.”

The Latest

Since the early days when the sport was anything but a mainstream endeavor, the MMA industry has thrived and survived through various websites, forums and, perhaps most importantly, social-media platforms.

In this week’s Trading Shots, Danny Downes and Ben Fowlkes look at Ronda Rousey’s 34-second victory over Bethe Correia at UFC 190 and try to put it into terms that capture the moment without getting swept away by it.

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

The man known for cranking submissions to the point of injury added eye-gouging to his repertoire. But is the controversy of Rousimar Palhares too essential to his bizarre, awful appeal for his employers to take any meaningful action against him?